RHODE ISLAND’S
YOUNG ADULT WORKFORCE
They
are securing
fewer
well-paid,
higher-skilled
JOBS
Their
long-term
UNEMPLOYMENT
is up
Young adults face
growing economic
challenges:
Their overall
WORKFORCE
PARTICIPATION
is declining
Read more
GIVEN THESE CHALLENGES, IT IS CRUCIAL TO ASK:
What do we know about RI’s young adult workforce?
POPULATION
Percentage of Young Adults
(18 - 24) by Population
11.4%
9.8%
10.0%
119,962
Young Adults in RI
Ages 18-24 (2011)
Young adults are a larger part
of Rhode Island’s population
than in the rest of New
England and the nation as
a whole.
Rhode Island
Other New England States
United States
RACE / ETHNICITY
Young adults in Rhode Island
reflect the growing diversity
of the state and nation.
Latinos comprise the largest
minority group.
alone, not
69.5% White
15.5% Hispanic
6.3%
Hispanic or Latino
or Latino
alone, not
Two or more races or
4.5% Asian
Hispanic or Latino 3.8% some other race alone, 0.4%
not Hispanic or Latino
POVERTY
American Indian and Alaskan Native
alone or Native Hawaiian and other
Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic
or Latino
100%
80%
The poverty rate among
Rhode Island’s young adults
is slightly higher than that
of the nation, and falls in
the higher range of New
England states.
Black or African American
alone, not Hispanic or Latino
60%
73.4%
73.8%
72.2%
72.6%
78.2%
81.8%
82.5%
18.2%
17.5%
Connecticut
New Hampshire
40%
20%
0%
20%
26.2%
26.6%
27.8%
27.4%
USA
Rhode Island
Maine
Vermont
21.8%
40%
At or Above Poverty Level
http://ridatahub.org/datamart/rhode-islands-young-adult-workforce/
Massachusetts
Below Poverty Level
RIDataHUB
The Employment Challenge
Rhode Island Unemployment Rates 2003-2012
UNEMPLOYMENT &
THE GREAT RECESSION
20%
The Great Recession has meant
higher unemployment.
Young Adult Unemployment tripled
between 2006 and 2010
15%
Long-term career consequences
of unemployment are especially
harmful to young adults,
particularly those at lower skill
levels.
10%
5%
0%
2003
2004
2005
2006
Age 20 to 24
Read more
2007
2008
Overall
2009
2010
2011
2012
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics & the
Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.
Persons Age 18 to 24 Not Attending School, Not Working,
And No Degree Beyond High School ~ 2011
DISENGAGED YOUNG ADULTS
Young adults are not positioned for
successful workforce engagement
when they:
20%
• lack job skills (nothing further
than a high school diploma);
15%
• are not pursuing further
education; and
10%
• are not currently working.
Fortunately, Rhode Island has fewer
young adults fitting all three of
these descriptions than the nation
as a whole, and is about on par
among New England states.
5%
0%
http://ridatahub.org/datamart/rhode-islands-young-adult-workforce/
USA
Rhode Island
Maine
Connecticut
New Hampshire
Vermont
Massachusetts
Source: Population Reference Bureau, analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau,
2011 American Community Survey via the KIDS COUNT Data Center.
RIDataHUB
Education and the Emerging Workforce
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
11.6%
• A majority of RI’s young adults
have at least some college
experience.
No High School
Diploma
• This is important, as an
increasing number of
occupations require a college
degree.
• Employment and wage levels are
generally higher for those with
more advanced educational
credentials.
62.5%
25.9%
Some College
or College
Degree
High School
Diploma
Read more
2,071 Adult Education Students, Age 18-24
ADULT EDUCATION
76%
Of young adults without a high
school diploma, less than 15%
are in Adult Education
programs. About a quarter of
these are studying to improve
their English language skills.
High School
Equivalency (ABE/ASE)
24%
English Proficiency
(ESL)
Figures represent Adult Education students in Fiscal Year 2012. Source: Rhode Island Department of Education.
STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES
Standardized Test Achievement Levels of RI's Young Adults
These scores gauge two basic
workforce skills: math & reading.
Of RI's young adult high school
grads, only slightly more than 40%
met the state benchmark for math
proficiency, while about three
quarters were at least "proficient" in
reading.
MATH TEST
READING TEST
22.2%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
51.8%
8.2%
33.2%
Proficient with Distinction
Proficient
20%
10%
Percentages reflect 11th Grade NECAP scores for graduates
of RI public high schools and who were aged 18 to 24 in 2011.
Source: Rhode Island Department of Education.
Proficiency
0%
10%
20%
18.5%
25.1%
30%
7.6%
Partially Proficient
Substantially Below Proficient
40%
50%
33.5%
http://ridatahub.org/datamart/rhode-islands-young-adult-workforce/
RIDataHUB
Voting as Civic Engagement
VOTER PARTICIPATION
Voter participation among RI's young
adults mirrors the national trend,
which was downward from 2008 to
2012.
Voter Participation Among Young Adults
45%
35%
RI's young adults voted in smaller
numbers than their national peers in
both elections.
44.3%
40%
38.0%
36.9%
30%
31.0%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2008 ELECTION
Rhode Island
http://ridatahub.org/datamart/rhode-islands-young-adult-workforce/
USA
2012 ELECTION
Figures represent participation in the presidential election of each year.
Sources: Rhode Island Office of the Secretary of State; U.S. Census
Bureau, American Community Survey, 2008 1-Year Data; U.S. Census
Bureau, Current Population Survey, November 2012 and earlier reports.
RIDataHUB
Teen Motherhood
Among RI Women Aged 18 to 24:
TEEN MOTHERS
10.2% Had a child by age 20
Births to women under age 20 often
lead to poor educational, health, and
economic outcomes for these women
9.5%
and their children.
Had a child after
age 20
Among Rhode Island’s young
adult women, 10.2% had children
in their teens.
80.2%
Read more
Do not have
children
Figures are estimates based upon births recorded in the Rhode Island Department of
Health KIDSNET database and the total R.I. population of females aged 18 to 24 in 2011.
Teen Birth Rate
BIRTHS TO TEENS
Rhode Island’s teen birth rate is
lower than the national rate and
consistent with rates in New
50
England. Rates have declined in
recent years.
35
45
Births Per Thousand
40
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2002
Connecticut
2003
Maine
2004
2005
Massachusetts
2006
2007
New Hampshire
2008
2009
Rhode Island
2010
Vermont
2011
USA
Figures are estimates based upon births recorded in the Rhode Island Department of Health KIDSNET database and the total R.I.
from: the U.S. Census Bureau; the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention; and the National Center for Health Statistics.
http://ridatahub.org/datamart/rhode-islands-young-adult-workforce/
RIDataHUB
THE BIG QUESTIONS
The experience of RI’s young adults in preparing for and entering into the
workforce will have a decades-long impact on the state’s economy. This
infographic has provided an overview of this group. More detailed
analyses will be possible with the upcoming addition of wage and
employment data to the RI DataHUB. Questions that warrant further
investigation include:
What is the employment and earnings status of young adults who studied
in RI’s education and training systems, including adult education?
Which industries employ our young adults? Which industries don’t?
What skills and characteristics are common among young adults
employed in growing industries and well-compensated jobs?
How are teen mothers faring in terms of education and employment upon
reaching adulthood?
To what extent do earnings correlate with civic engagement?
Can we find evidence of a “brain drain” in RI?
Data in this infographic are sourced from the U.S.
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2011
1-Year Data, unless otherwise noted.
Published January 2014
http://ridatahub.org/datamart/rhode-islands-young-adult-workforce/
RIDataHUB
For Further Reading:
The growing economic challenges faced by young adults:
DEMOS report on young adult employment challenges:
http://www.demos.org/sites/default/files/publications/Stuck%28uploaded%29_3.pdf
New York Times Economix blog post on long-term consequences of unemployment:
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/persistent-scars-of-long-term-joblessness/?_r=1
PewResearch report on young adult economic challenges:
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/02/09/young-underemployed-and-optimistic/
Unemployment & young adults:
Economist article “Generation Jobless”:
http://www.economist.com/news/international/21576657-around-world-almost-300m-15-24-year-olds-are-not-working-what-has-caused
Study on the Career Effects of Graduating in a Recession:
http://www.columbia.edu/~vw2112/papers/cycl_upgr_oreovonwaheisz.pdf
Education and jobs:
New York Times Economix blog post on educational attainment and pay:
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/college-premium-better-pay-better-prospects/?ref=business&_r=0
New York Times article on increasing employer demand for college degrees:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/business/college-degree-required-by-increasing-number-of-companies.html?pagewanted=all
Teen Pregnancy:
Federal findyouthinfo.gov resource page on teen pregnancy:
http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/youth-topics/teen-pregnancy-prevention/adverse-effects-teen-pregnancy
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy report on the effects of teen pregnancy:
http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/why-it-matters/pdf/Childbearing-Education-EconomicWellbeing.pdf
http://ridatahub.org/datamart/rhode-islands-young-adult-workforce/
RIDataHUB